


she who believes in you

by tomefaired



Series: a link to her heart [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Major Character Injury, Misgendering, Near Death Experiences, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Some references from the comics/manga, trans girl Link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-07 10:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17958548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomefaired/pseuds/tomefaired
Summary: Link isn't the legendary Hero, she knows- no matter how many times Zelda tells her otherwise.





	1. prelude: trinexx

**Author's Note:**

> The world needs more A Link to the Past fics, so guess it's up to me to provide them! Hope you enjoy : >

The rock snake slithers, charges at you with reckless abandon. Its face is menacing, it’s clearly more than three times your size. And it’s only got one weak point- the largest rock in its segmented body. The monsters that have guarded each of the dark dungeons in this twisted world have been tough for sure, but none so much as this one. You nearly slip on the ice that the fiend had created with one of its three heads, trying to avoid it yet again as it comes your way.

The ground shakes, your vision blurs. You find it’s hard to focus, your grave wounds are starting to get to you and you have nothing to fall back on but the power of the Master Sword- but what good is its power if you don’t have the strength to hold it? You can see the creature’s eyes, you try to get out of the way, but it’s too late, you’re too close and all you can do is swing, swing your sword with the last of your life’s energy that you know will fade in an instant.

Something pushes you back with immense force, throwing your body against the wall of the cave. You can barely hear the sound of rock splitting in half before everything fades to black, beyond all recognition…


	2. memories

△

_“Please help me... I am a prisoner in the dungeon of the castle. My name is Zelda.”_

_“Huh?!” You suddenly wake- or have you really? Her voice sounds as if it came out of a dream- or from one of the goddesses themselves. Your heart pounds like the rolling of thunder from outside._

_“Someone’s answered me…! Who are you? What is your name?”_

_Zelda speaks directly to your heart, as if she’s the only one who understands you._

_“Ah…!! M-my name… my name…” Your voice trembles- you hate its sound, you wish it wasn’t like this. You pause for a moment to breathe and collect yourself. Breathe in, breathe out._

_“My name… is Link.”_

△

_“Link, be careful out there! I know you can save Hyrule!”_

_“Ah-…”_

_A red tint makes its way to your cheeks- you aren’t sure what to think of her words. You doubt yourself, but she has faith in you… it makes you wonder if she sees something in you that others haven’t. You’ve said very little to her, but she never once questioned that. Maybe to her, you’re just the strong, silent type._

_“I know it’s easy to get discouraged,” she tells you, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder, causing you to shiver. “But if that ever happens… just remember that I’ll always be here, cheering you on.”_

_Somehow, a part of what she says makes you want to cry. You feel the tears starting to form. But you simply nod, you turn away, you don’t show it to her. You don’t show her anything that rests within your heart- you have to be the person that she believes you are._

_“Link… it’s okay. Don’t ever forget… I believe in you.”_

△

_The last thing you remember was falling down the steps of a tower._

_Something about this place feels comforting, even though you’ve never been here before. You’re in a field filled with flowers of all colors of the rainbow. The sky is a bright blue, with puffy clouds moving overhead. You can smell the scent of the blooms, taste the fresh air. You hear the sound of birds chirping, the rustling of the wind through the trees- and a familiar voice._

_“Link… it’s me, Zelda. We’re both dreaming.”_

_Your heart is suddenly pounding, but you can’t let her know how you feel. Even in the land of dreams, you hide yourself, as you always have. Though by now, there’s something about you that looks different. Your face is rounder, your form is curvier, and your hair is a little longer and wavier, all of it thanks to the magic of the fairy queen. But you can’t let Zelda know who you are._

_You’re not her knight in shining armor. You’re not the legendary hero. You’re a vulnerable girl with the weight of the world on your shoulders._

_So even as she places a gentle hand on your shoulder, you turn away, undeserving of her._

_“I know you’re struggling right now… so I thought-“_

_“I- I’m fine,” you insist. Your words are a lie- you’re scared, terrified._

_“Listen to me, Link… you’ve already come so far. That’s proof alone you have what it takes. There’s no reason to turn back now, is there?”_

_And it’s then you remember- you have the three Pendants of Virtue in hand. Only the Master Sword remains. But something inside of you is holding you back._

_You think about your past before you were sent on this quest. As a child, you were always quiet. People gave you strange looks- you often looked sad, or cold._ _You don’t know who your parents are, or what they were like. Your uncle was a farmer before the fateful day you lost him._

_You know that you’re just an ordinary person to everyone. But what makes you special to her?_

_“I don’t… really, I… urgh-…” You find yourself collapsing in Zelda’s arms from your wounds. She sits in the field of flowers, holding you carefully, keeping you safe._

_“Shh… it’s okay. You must be very tired… You have given us so much hope, you can’t give up now…”_

_“It- it hurts…”_

_“Please rest… don’t worry…”_

_As you rest your head in Zelda’s lap, you listen to her soothing voice, one that could heal your wounds in an instant. She places a hand on your cheek, gently running a finger over one of your scars. You’re starting to realize it now, what you’ve known since the beginning._

_You love her… and you will do anything to keep her safe, as she has done for you._

△

_“Ahah... Link! I have been waiting for you! Heh heh heh... I was hoping I could make Zelda vanish in front of your eyes.”_

_Agahnim’s laugh sends a shiver down your spine, but you don’t let it show. Instead on your face rests a determined expression. You refuse to back down and let Zelda be sacrificed, swinging the Master Sword of evil’s bane, the blade that was promised to defeat Agahnim once and for all- but it’s no use. A shock runs through your body, knocking you down to the floor in one fell swoop. It’s impossible for you to move, even though you want to get up and fight- Agahnim has you frozen in place._

_“Hah! You think that will work on me?! Foolish boy.”_

_The words sting- but there’s nothing you can do now that you can’t move. So much for the Master Sword being able to defeat Agahnim. There’s fear in your eyes now, just like he wanted. Agahnim snickers as he turns to the altar, chanting words from an unknown language. Zelda’s body rises limp into the air. Clouds of smoke swirl around her as the sky seems to open up. The ground shakes, the sound of thunder booms in your ears, and you can barely make out Zelda’s peaceful resting face, the face of the girl you promised to protect-_

_“Behold! The last moment of Princess Zelda!”_

_“No-!! NO!”_

△

_“Link, can you hear me? It's me, Zelda. I am locked in Turtle Rock on top of Death Mountain.  
I know you are doing your best, but please hurry...”_

_She’s still alive._

_“Hurry… please… Link…”_

△

* * *

“Link…?”

Breathing in, and out. Eyes opening, ever so slightly, adjusting to the light. It looks familiar. It’s the cave you were in before, and it’s completely silent- or rather, there’s no sound of earthquakes or a rampaging rock snake. You can feel the cold, hard rock against the skin of your wounded head, against the bones of your limp fingers. Stomach rises and falls with the breath, but you’re struggling a bit. Stalactites hang from the ceiling and you stare at them to have something to focus on.

And you’re alive, as if some miracle from the goddesses has kept you from passing into the next life.

Your body shifts just the tiniest bit as you try to remember what happened. Turtle Rock, Death Mountain, Dark World, Zelda-

You gasp as you open your eyes- you were supposed to be rescuing Zelda. And someone else is here.

“Zelda…?”

“Link-!! Oh goddesses, Link, you’re alive…!”

Zelda immediately kneels before you, gently taking you into her arms, placing your head in her lap. “I… I thought I’d lost you-… If you’d fallen here, I… I don’t know what I’d do…”

You can feel her fingers running through your hair, the warmth of her arm around you. It’s just like the dream you shared together- only this time, it’s real.

“I appreciate your coming so far to rescue me,” she tells you. But you can hardly believe what you managed to do. You can’t help but notice the irony in Zelda's words- you’d come here to rescue her, but now it is she who is here to save you, as she cares for you, heals you. Your body is covered in injuries- bruises, cuts, broken bones. You’re still too weak to stand. “Please… let me heal your wounds, you’ve endured so much,” she asks. “I know no one else with your courage.”

Courage- the word feels strange inside your head. But you nod anyway- you’re in dire need of her help.

Zelda presses her fingers against your injuries, gliding them gently against the skin of your curved form. It’s painful at first, but it quickly fades under the effect of her healing magic. In her gaze you can see her wisdom, her kindness, her understanding, as if she knows more about you than you know about yourself.

“I always believed you would rescue me… but you would not have come this far if you had not believed in yourself.”

“Ah…?”

“Link… you _are_ the legendary Hero. I have felt this from the first time we met.”

Her words echo what the other maidens have told you. You are the last in the bloodline of the Knights of Hyrule, the only one who can become the hero of legend, destined to appear when a great evil arises in the land.

You think back to every trial, every challenge, every obstacle you overcame. You obtained the Master Sword after procuring the three Pendants of Virtue, rescued the maidens trapped in the Dark World. In every place where anyone else would normally turn back, you pressed on, knowing you had to save Zelda and all of Hyrule.

So why do you feel so hesitant to accept her words?

Time passes in silence. Zelda continues to watch over you as your body begins to heal. And it’s in the silence that you remember your fears of rejection that you can’t let out into the open. You’ve always hidden yourself from the world, from everyone. But when you look inside yourself, you find there is nothing. You still don’t know who you are.

You ask yourself, as you drift off to sleep- _is there anything worth hiding anymore?_


	3. courage

“Ah- you’re awake…”

As you wake up from a dreamless sleep, the first thing you notice is that Zelda has not left your side. The second thing you notice is that the pain you felt before is gone. You can barely see the bruises that were once on your legs.

After shifting a bit, you manage to summon the strength to sit up straight, facing your princess. She smiles gently, holding your hands to make sure you don’t fall. Your heart pounds, she’s gazing directly at you and you can’t manage to return eye contact, awkwardly turning away- perhaps a bit ashamed that you too had to be rescued in the end. But you can’t just avoid speaking to her, either. There’s much you could say, but are too afraid to. And perhaps now is the time to be a bit more honest with Zelda- and yourself.

Because it’s now that you’re realizing- you could never have gotten this far on your own, without Zelda’s guidance and support. Even after Agahnim had sent her into the Dark World, she’d still called out to you, giving you helpful advice and always encouraging you to do your best. There’s a reason why she’s been doing all of this for you, she _cares_ about you like no one else ever has.

Maybe… you can accept yourself.

“Thank you…” you say after a moment of silence. “For, um… c-caring about me.”

Zelda places a hand on your shoulder, with a sympathetic gaze in her eyes. You steel your nerves to look her way and find yourself unexpectedly comforted. You’re stepping into unknown territory, but you’re willing to do it for the girl you love, the girl who saved your life.

“I would never think of abandoning you, Link. I hold you dear to my heart.” Zelda’s words make your heart pound harder and faster. But you can’t let the nervousness stop you from saying what’s on your mind. Not now.

“That… means a lot to me,” you reply, your voice shaking. “I was worried about… you hearing my voice, and, uh…”

“Your voice… your _true_ voice- it's lovely, Link. Especially now… that you’re comfortable enough with yourself to use it.”

“Ah-! You… you knew…?”

“Yes. And it hasn’t changed how I feel about you one bit.”

You breathe a small sigh of relief, though you can’t find the words to say right now, not even a simple ‘thank you’. You think back to all of the times you felt alone- from the intimidating glances people gave you, your uncle losing patience with you and your silence, and every time you looked in the mirror to see a stranger staring back at you. The moment you lost your uncle, the only person you ever really knew, and yet never understood you, sometimes even ignored you.

No one was ever able to see the desire you held deep in your heart to become something more than a lowly farmhand, to do something meaningful with the life the goddesses gave you, to find someone who would complete you. For years your life had been an absence of identity- until now.

You place your cold hand over Zelda’s own- it’s warm, just as her very presence warms your heart. Her fingers intertwine with yours as she smiles, gazes at you with utmost kindness and purity of heart. She threatens to bring down the walls you’d so carefully crafted around yourself, she’s found her way into your heart so well that you wonder if she’d planned it. But you love her, you love her so much, so strongly that you can’t turn back any longer.

“I… ahh… I don’t deserve this,” you say instinctively, even if part of you now no longer believes it anymore. It comes off as a little halfhearted, and Zelda’s reaction makes it clear that she can see right through you.

“You absolutely do,” Zelda replies in an instant. “I could always sense the loneliness in your heart. Admittedly, I was afraid… that if I pried too much, you’d close your heart to me- I’m… really glad that you didn’t.” Her voice is a little awkward now as she admits her own shortcomings, but it’s clear that she’s done all of this for you.

“Link… I promise that you’ll never be lonely again, as long as I’m at your side.”

And suddenly, the loving words meant to comfort you instead remind you immediately of everything you can’t tell her.

You’d tell her how much you love her right now, but you’re not worthy. She’s saved you from death multiple times, she’s comforted you in your hours of need, guided you when you were lost, encouraged you when you doubted yourself. You can’t possibly ask for more from her, not her love, not after what she’s already given you. The love you feel for her is overwhelming, though, and it’s painful to think about, as you turn away, feeling tears well up in your eyes. All of this could end in an instant if you let that one painful emotion out into the open.

You love Zelda so much that you would hide it from her. You love her so much that you feel weak whenever you think about her, just as you are now, as she’s saved your life.

You love her so much that you’re crying right now in your usual silence, hoping fruitlessly that she doesn’t notice.

“Link…”

Zelda tenderly whispers your name, lifting a finger to catch your tears. But all it does is make them fall faster, harder. You can’t cry silently anymore- you’ve been holding this inside for years and years. Your body shakes, wracked by sobs, you feel useless right now, crying in front of the princess you were destined to protect.

And as Zelda holds you tightly in her arms to comfort you, a revelation emerges: It is only around her that you’ve ever been allowed to show weakness.

“It’s okay to cry, I’m here for you… I will never stop believing in you.”

 _I will never stop believing in you._ These words hold new meaning for you now. You remember that Ganon is gathering his power in the Dark World to conquer all. Your feelings of weakness, your love for Zelda, your desire to become someone- none of it will matter if Ganon’s wish is allowed to come true.

Breathe in, breathe out. Having allowed the tears to run their course, you gather your resolve, facing Zelda with new determination in your eyes.

“Right… I…I can do this.”

“That’s the spirit, Link! Let’s show Ganon what we’re made of!” Zelda’s willpower matches your own, as she takes your hand in hers, helping you up.

“I- I’m ready now. There’s no turning back.”

Through Zelda’s kindness, you’ve remembered what you’ve been fighting for all this time.

“Thank you, Zelda… Let’s do this… together.”


End file.
